Creating highly persuasive content: Lessons from Apple

14 September 2022
4 minutes

Are you looking for some ways to get more impact out of your content? To boost your page views and click-through rate and get more likes and shares? And, above all, to persuade new customers to convert? Well then why not take a few pointers from one of the world’s truly iconic and instantly recognisable brands: Apple.

In this article, we’re going to look at some of the features that have made Apple’s content so effective over the years. And we’ll show you how you can use those same techniques to help boost your content’s performance, no matter what your content marketing goals are.

Technique 1: Lead with the features

Apple wastes no time drawing attention to its products’ features. Because they know that those features are what most online shoppers want to know about. So, instead of filling your headers and subheaders with vague claims, like “The leading solution” or “Everything you need”, name the features specifically and let the reader decide if those features speak to their needs.

Technique 2: Every page is a landing page​

You can never fully anticipate how a customer will land on your website. The most important thing, of course, is that they do land there. And once they do, you’ve got just one chance to grab their attention, make them feel welcome and keep them scrolling and clicking through. 

Apple’s web design is so user-friendly because it gives users an immediate sense of orientation, from the second they land. No matter which page you enter their site on, you have an instant overview, thanks to the clear headlines, clutter-free design, abundant use of white space and minimalistic header. 

When designing your pages, always ask yourself: what if this were the first page a customer would land on? Does it immediately make them feel at home? Can they immediately find everything they might be looking for?

Technique 3: Bring your audience in on the action

Apple understands better than almost any other brand how important it is to put its audience at the centre of attention. They are masters at creating an instant emotional connection between their audience and their products. Their content feels personal, friendly and authentic. But how do they achieve that? It really comes down to some basic good writing skills:

  • Address your audience directly (say “you” and say it often).
  • Use imperatives that contain positive-sounding, empowering verbs (like “get”, “create” and “find”).
  • Capture the reader’s imagination with storytelling.

When it comes to storytelling, Apple’s true strength is finding perfect (very short) phrases that instantly place the reader inside a scenario. The reader can immediately imagine themselves enjoying using the product. This is a very powerful technique and it takes a true wordsmith to get it exactly right.

Content - Content is always necessary

Technique 4: Use satisfying, symmetric language

As content marketers, we all want to capture our audience’s attention immediately. One of the best ways to do that is to use short, snappy phrases that say a lot, using as few words as possible. Once again, this is a technique that Apple has mastered. Their online content is filled with countless examples of punchy phrases that capture the eye, set the mood and trigger the reader’s imagination. Here are a couple of of the main techniques they use to achieve this effect: 

  • Symmetric language: Think about the phrase “what goes up, must come down”. There’s almost a physical feeling you get when you say a phrase like that. Apple channels that effect with phrases that seem to “go up” (build excitement) and “come down” (provide resolution).
  • Repetition: Throughout Apple’s content, you’ll find phrases built around a single word (usually a very simple, common word like “all” or “any”). The word is repeated once or twice in the same phrase to create a harmonic effect.

So, why are these techniques so persuasive? On the subconscious level, they create a sense of balance, harmony and resolution. This makes the reader instinctively feel that “everything is right”. And that subtle psychological effect makes this an extremely powerful content creation technique.

Technique 5: Work with professional content creators

As the world’s most profitable company, Apple obviously has some money to spend on perfecting its content. They almost certainly staff large teams of in-house content creators who collaborate on every word that appears on their online channels. And this is reflected in the quality of the content. It takes real professionals to come up with those perfectly phrased statements and to make that instant emotional impact.

Anyone who’s been following Apple’s content as long as we have will agree: they are obviously working with professional content creators whose entire purpose in life is to create persuasive, engaging content that just keeps getting better and better.

Maybe your company isn’t in the position of hiring a large team of in-house content creators. The good news is: you can still get the high-quality content that you need to make your brand stand out. Working with freelance professionals is the ideal solution. You get the quality you need, along with plenty of fresh, outsider ideas. Plus, you enjoy the financial flexibility of not having to staff your own content creators. You don’t have to be the next Steve Jobs to see how that can help you reach your content marketing goals.

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